Marking apparatus



Aug. 15, 1961 F. c. WORTH MARKING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 6, 1959 United States Patent 9 F 2,996,003 MARKING APPARATUS Francis C. Worth, Ridgewood, N.Y., asslgnor to Adolph Gottscho, Inc., Hillside, NJ., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 6, 1959, Ser. No. 851,384 6 Claims. (Cl. 101-331) This invention relates generally to marking apparatus, and more particularly is directed to improvements in apparatus for applyinginked markings to successive articles, such as, containers, cans, jars, cartons or the like, which are conveyed past the marking apparatus.

Marking apparatus of the described character generally includes a support adapted to be mounted adjacent the conveyor carrying the articles to be marked, a marking wheel rotatably mounted on the support and having a marking element or elements on its periphery for rolling and marking contact with the successive conveyed articles as the latter pass the support, the frictional contact of each of the successive conveyed articles with bearer rims on the marking wheel being relied upon to effect rotation of the latter, a positioning device associated with the marking wheel and operative at the conclusion of each marking operation to return the marking wheel to a predetermined rotational position, thereby to register the applied markings with respect to the successive conveyed articles, and a [fountain inking roller also rotatably mounted on the suppo'rt for rolling contact with the marking element or elements on the marking wheel during rotation of the latter thereby to apply ink to the raised surfaces of such element or elements for transfer to the article being marked.

With existing marking apparatus having the above general arrangement, difficulties have been experienced in obtaining uniform application of ink by the fountain inking roller to the raised surfaces of the marking element or elements on the marking wheel and, therefore, in obtaining an inked marking of uniform intensity on the conveyed article being marked. Heretofore, it has been thought that the lack of uniformity in the application of ink from the inking roller to the raised surfaces of the marking element or elements resulted from non-uniform distribution of ink at the outer surface of the felt or other absorbent pad forming the outer periphery of the fountain inln'ng roller, and numerous arrangements have been proposed for obtaining more uniform distribution of ink in such pad, particularly when the fountain inking roller is oriented for rotation about a vertical axis, in which case the effect of gravity generally tends to increase the concentration of ink in the portion of the pad adjacent its lower edge. However, it has been found that even the most efiicient means for obtaining uniform distribution of ink in the felt or other absorbent pad of the fountain inking roller does not necessarily result in the uniform application of ink from such pad to the raised surfaces of the marking element or elements on the marking wheel, and the non-uniform application of ink is then caused by a lack of parallelism between the axes of rotation of the fountain inking roller and the marking wheel, respectively, by a lack of uniformity in the radial distances from the raised surfaces of the marking element or elements to the axis of rotation of the marking wheel, or by the non-uniform location of such raised surfaces in the direction of the axis of the marking wheel which may cause non-uniform Wearing or compression of the felt or other absorbent pad of the fountain inking roller.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the invention to provide a marking apparatus of the described character having an arrangement for effecting the uniform application of ink to the raised surfaces of the marking de- Patented Aug. 15, 1961 ice ment or elements carried by the marking wheel of such apparatus, thereby to obtain inked markings of uniform intensity on the successive conveyed articles.

A more specific object is to provide marking apparatus of the described character wherein the fountain inking roller is resiliently mounted with respect to the support in a manner to permit displacement of the axis of rotation of the inking roller relative to the axis of rotation of the marking wheel, thereby to avoid a lack of uniformity in the application of ink to the raised surfaces of the marking element or elements resulting from a lack of parallelism between the axes of rotation of the marking wheel and inking roller, from the non-uniform radial extent of the raised surfaces of the marking element or elements, or from the non-uniform axial distribution of such raised surfaces on the marking wheel or non-uniform wearing or compression of the felt or other absorbent pad of the inking roller.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the fountain inking roller is rotatable about a central axle extending therethrough and having its opposite ends exposed above and below the inking roller for reception in metal bearing bushings which are, in turn, mounted in rubber or other resilient discs carried by arms projecting radially from an upright spindle on the support of the marking apparatus so that such resilient discs can yield either individually or jointly in the same or in different directions for displacing the axis of rotation of the inking roller relative to the axis of rotation of the marking wheel.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away and in section, of a marketing apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of FiG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, it will be seen that a marking apparatus embodying the invention, and there generally identified by the reference numeral 10, includes a mounting bracket 12 adapted to be secured to suitable framework (not shown) adjacent a conveyor 14 which is shown in broken lines on FIG. 1 and adapted to convey successive articles A, for example, containers, cartons, jars, cans or the like, past the marking apparatus. A sleeve 16 (FIG. 2) is slidably received in a vertical bore of a. bracket 12 and has an enlarged collar 18 at its upper end above the bracket 12. A compression spring 20 extends around the lower end portion of sleeve 16 and engages, at its opposite ends, against an abutment ring 22 carried by sleeve 16 and the lower surface of bracket 12, respectively, in order to urge sleeve 16 downwardly for seating of collar 18 against the upper surface of bracket 12. A pin 24- projects upwardly from bracket 12v and is received in a recess 26 formed in collar .18 for normally preventing rotation of sleeve 16 relative to bracket 12. However, it is apparent that sleeve 16 and collar 18 can be displaced upwardly relative to bracket 12 against the force of spring 20 in order to withdraw pin 24 from recess 26 and thereby free sleeve 16 for rotation relative to bracket 12.

A rod 28 extends vertically through sleeve .16 and .is adjustably secured within the latter, for example, by forming collar 18 as a split clamp which can be tightened about rod 28 for securing the latter to sleeve .16,

. r 3 or loosened to permit vertical or rotational adjustment of rod 28 relative to sleeve 16.

Rod 28 has a reduced diameter upper end portion 30 forming a journal for a sleeve bearing 32 within a hollow boss 34 at one end of a support arm 36 so that the latter extends radially from rod 28 alongside conveyor 14 and is swingable about the axis of rod 28. A spring washer 38 engages under a head 40 provided at the upper end of journal 30 and bears downwardly against boss 34 in order to prevent inadvertent upward removal of arm 36 from rod 28.

Support arm 36 is formed with another hollow boss 42 located adjacent its free end and receiving a roller bearing 44 which rotatably supports an upwardly projecting, vertical shaft 46. A marking wheel generally identified by the reference numeral 48 includes a rigid body 50, for example, of metal, having a circular top end wall 52 secured, as by a screw 54, to the upper end of shaft 46, and a depending cylindrical skirt or side wall 56 adapted to carry a marking element or elements, for example, in the form of a logotype S8 with radially raised marking surfaces, between bearer rims 60.

Support arm 36 is located with respect to the associated conveyor 14 so that, as the successive articles A are conveyed past the marking apparatus 10, the side surface of each article frictionally engages bearer rims 60 of marking wheel 48 and eiiects rotation of the latter.

During such rotation of marking wheel 48, each marking element 58 carried by the marking wheel is moved into rolling and marking contact with a surface of the conveyed article; In order to maintain the necessary frictional contact of each of the successive articles with the bearer rims 60, and also in order to maintain the necessary printing or marking pressure between the marking element or elements 58 and the article being marked, support arm 36 is resiliently held against movement about rod 28 in the direction away from the adjacent conveyor. In the illustrated marking apparatus 10, the arm 36 is resiliently held against movement away from the conveyor by a generally U-shaped spring 62 having two arms 64 and a curved connecting portion 64 which is secured to rod 28, for example, by bolts 68 ('FIG. 2). The free ends of resilient arms 64 engage the inside surface of a depending flange 70 extending along the periphery of support arm 36. Thus, support arm 36 is yieldably held against turning with respect to rod 28 in both directions in order to provide the necessary printing and frictional contact pressure with successive articles conveyed past one side of support arm 36, as indicated at A, or past the opposite side of the support arm, as indicated at A (FIG. 1).

In order to ensure the desired registration of the applied markings with respect to the successive conveyed articles, marking apparatus 10 includes a positioning device 72 associated with marking wheel 48 and operative to return the latter to a predetermined rotational position at the conclusion of each marking operation.

In the illustrated marking apparatus, the positioning device 72 includes a fixed plate 74 disposed within the marking wheel and secured to boss 42 by way of screws 76 (FIG. 1). A positioning member 78 is secured on shaft 46 for rotation with the latter in a plane immediately above fixed plate 74, and carries an upstanding stub shaft 80 arranged with its axis spaced radially from the axis of shaft 46 and rotatably supporting a grooved roller 82. A second grooved roller 84 is fixed on shaft 46 at the same level as roller 82, and an endless, helical tension spring 86 extends around grooved roller 84 and around an anchor bolt 88 projecting upwardly from plate 74 at a distance from the axis of rotation of shaft 46 greater than the distance between the axis of roller 82 and shaft 46, with roller 82 being embraced by the runs of spring 86 extending between roller 84 and anchor bolt 88. Further, such runs of spring 86 are pinched together by spaced apart. pins 90 and 92 projecting up- 4 wardly from fixed plate 74 at locations adjacent anchor bolt 88.

It will be apparent that, with the arrangement of the positioning device 72 described above, spring 86 tends to maintain marking wheel 48 in a rotational position where the axis of roller 82 lies on the radial line extending from the axis of shaft 46 through the axis of anchor bolt 88. However, when marking wheel 48 is rotated by frictional contact of its bearer rims 60 with an article A conveyed past the marking apparatus, the consequent rotation of member 78 with the marking wheel causes roller 82 to move along a circular path around the axis of shaft 46 while maintaining engagement with spring 86 which is consequently stretched. In using a marking apparatus of the described character, the circumference of the marking wheel is always larger than the length or dimension of the article to be marked in the direction of movement of the latter along the conveyor so that the bearer rims 60 of the marking wheel will be disengaged from the article which has caused rotation of the marking wheel prior to the return of the latter to its initial rotational position. Upon such disengagement of the bearer rims from the marked article, spring 86 acts on roller 82 to forcibly return the marking wheel toward its rotational position where the axis of roller 82 lies on the radial line extending from the axis of shaft 46 through the axis of anchor bolt 88.

In order to prevent hunting or oscillation of the marking wheel 48 about its spring urged position at the conclusion of each marking operation, the positioning device 72 further includes a latch 94 pivotally mounted on a pin 96 projecting upwardly from fixed plate 74 and having a nose 98 (FIG. 1) engageable by a stop 100 projecting from member 78 which rotates with the marking wheel. A tension spring 102 connected to pin 96 and to a pin 104 also extending from plate 74 and engageable against a pin 186 projecting upwardly from latch 94 yieldably urges the latch to pivot in the direction moving the nose 98 into the circular path of movement of stop 100, and an extension 108 at the free end of latch 94 is engageable with the adjacent pin 104 for limiting the spring urged movement of the latch. Reference to FIG. 1 will show that the nose 98 on latch 94 is disposed so that, when it is engaged by stop 100 on member 78, the latter is angularly positioned slightly beyond the position to which marking wheel 48 is urged by spring 86, whereby spring 86 tends to maintain stop 100 against nose 98. Further, it will be seen that nose 98 of the latch faces in the normal direction of rotation of marking wheel 48, as indicated by the arrow on FIG. 1, so that, when the marking wheel is rotated by frictional contact with a A conveyed article to be marked, stop 100 is moved in the direction away from nose 98 and the latter offers no resistance to the rotation of the marking wheel. When the marked article frees the bearer rims of the marking wheel and spring 86 then becomes effective to return the marking wheel toward the rotational position where the axis of roller 82 is radially aligned with the axes of shaft 46 and anchor bolt 88, the momentum of the relatively heavy marking wheel carries the latter beyond such spring urged position, for example, to the position illustrated in FIG. 1, where nose 98 of latch 94 then engages in back of stop 100 and thereby establishes the initial position of the marking wheel when the latter is engaged by the next article to be marked carried by the conveyor 14.

It will be understood that, if the marking apparatus is disposed at the opposite side of the conveyor carrying the articles to be marked, for example, as shown with respect to the article A in Fig. 1, so that the marking wheel 48 is rotated in the clockwise direction during the marking operation, the position of latch 94 will be reversed, that is, the latch will be pivoted to swing about pin 104 and the pin 96 will then act as a stop engageable by the extension 108 of the latch. Thus, nose 98 of the latch will face in the opposite direction, that is, in the direction of rotation of marking wheel 48 during the marking of the articles.

Since the marking element or elements 58 carried by marking wheel 48 are intended to apply inked markings to the successive conveyed articles, the marking apparatus further has a fountain inking rol-ler generally identified by the reference numeral 110. Fountain inking roller 11!) includes a body having a circular bottom wall 112 with a tubular central part 114 projecting upwardly therefrom and a cylindrical side wall 116 concentric with tubular center part 114 and also extending upwardly from bottom wall 112 adjacent the periphery of the latter. The annular space between side Wall 116 and tubular central part 114 defines an ink reservoir, and a Wick member 118 of felt or other suitably absorbent material exhibiting a capillary action extends upwardly from within such reservoir over the top edge of side wall 116 and then downwardly around the outer surface of the side wall. An annular pad 120 of felt or other suitably absorbent material surrounds the portion of wick member 118 lying against the outer surface of side wall 116 and rests, at its lower edge, upon the peripheral edge portion of bottom wall 112, and a cover 122 having a central opening to receive the tubular central part 114 closes the top of the ink reservoir and rests on wick member 118 where the latter engages over the upper edge of side wall 116. A nut 124 threadably engages a screw threaded upper end portion of central part 114 and bears downwardly on cover 122 in order to hold the latter in position and also to permit adjustment of the force with which such cover pinches wick member 118 against the upper edge of side wall 116 and thereby controls the rate of flow of ink through such wick member from the ink reservoir to the outer pad 120.

It will be apparent that, with the above described arrangement of the fountain inking roller 110, the distribution of ink in the pad 120 by way of wick member 118 is substantially independent of the level of the ink within the ink reservoir.

The inking roller assembly 110 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 126 extending axially through tubular central part 114 and having its opposite end portions projecting from the latter and respectively received in lower and upper bearing assemblies 128 and 139. The bearing assemblies 128 and 130 are carried by parallel lower and upper arms 132 and 134, respectively, extending radially from a tube 136 which is rotatable on a spindle 138 projecting upwardly from support arm 36 and having a reduced diameter, threaded upper end portion 140 engaged by a knurled nut 142 which is adapted to clamp against the upper end edge of tube 136 and thereby prevent rotation of the latter with arms 132 and 134 extending in a desired direction.

In accordance with the present invention, each of the bearing assemblies 128 and 130 includes a rubber disc 144 frictionally held in a circular recess formed in the surface of the related arm 132 or 134 facing toward the inking roller 11!). Each rubber disc 144 has a central opening receiving a metal bushing 146 in which the adjacent end portion of shaft 126 is rotatable. Further, each metal bushing 146 is preferably provided with a radially directed flange 148 (FIG. 2) at the end thereof directed toward the tubular central part 114 of the inking roller and engageable by such tubular central part to form a thrust bearing surface for the inking roller. The opposite end portion of each metal bushing 146 extends through a relatively large opening 150 formed in the related arm 132 or 134 and opening into the recess accommodating the rubber disc 144 so that the bushing 146 and the related end portion of shaft 126 received by the bushing can shift in the plane of the arm 132 or 134 with resistance only from the yieldable rubber disc 144.

The shaft 126 rotatably supporting inking roller 110 is held in assembled relationship with respect to the latter by means of a knurled nut 152 threaded on a reduced diameter, threaded upper extension 154 of shaft 126 and engaging the upper end edge of bushing 146 of the upper bearing assembly 130.

As is apparent in FIG. 1, tube 136 is rotationally positioned on spindle 138 so that inking roller has its axis of rotation spaced from the medial line of support arm 36 in the direction of normal rotation of marking wheel 48 and is disposed for rolling contact of its inking pad with the raised marking surfaces of the marking element or elements 58 carried by marking wheel 48 as such marking surfaces move into marking contact with the conveyed article A then causing rotation of the marking wheel. The contact of inking pad 129 With the raised marking surfaces of the marking element or elements carried by the rotated marking wheel 48 is also relied upon to effect corresponding rotation of the fountain inking roller 110. When the marking apparatus 10 is arranged for applying inked markings to successive conveyed articles, for example, the article A shown in FIG. 1, travelling past the opposite side of the marking wheel 48, tube 136 is rotatably adjusted about spindle 138 in order to dispose the axis of rotation of inking roller 110 at the opposite side of the medial line of support arm 36, thereby to reduce the distance through which the raised marking surfaces of the marking element or elements must travel between the point where ink is applied to such raised marking surfaces and the point where the ink is transferred to the conveyed article.

Although the axis of rotation of fountain inking roller 1 10 is arranged generally parallel to the axis of rotation of marking wheel 48, it will be apparent that the rubber discs 144 of the bearing assemblies 128 and can flex either individually or jointly in the same direction or in different directions in order to permit canting or other displacement of the axis of shaft 126 relative to the axis of shaft 46. Such canting or other displacement of the axis of shaft 126 relative to the axis of shaft 46 serves to accommodate any lack of uniformity in the pressure of contact of inking pad 120 with the raised marking surfaces of the marking element or elements 58, thereby to ensure the uniform application of ink to such marking surfaces, whether the lack of uniformity of the pressure of contact results from an original deviation in the parallelism of the axes of the shafts 126 and 46, from a lack of uniformity in the radial distances from the axis of shaft 46 to the raised marking surfaces of the marking elements, from a variation in the positioning of such raised marking surfaces in the direction of the axis of marking wheel 48, or from a lack of uniformity in the wear or compression of inking pad 120. Further, the resilient rubber discs 144 of bearing assemblies 128 and 130 make it possible to rigidly set the adjusted position of the arms 132 and 1134, as by the nut 142 engaging tube 136, and then to rely upon the rubber discs 144 for for the purpose of obtaining the desired resilient contact of the inking roller with the marking elements.

Since the rubber discs 144 are embodied in bearing assemblies engageable only with the end portions of shaft 126, such rubber discs can be given a substantial radial extent, as is apparent in FIG. 2, in order to permit relatively substantial displacement of the axis of shaft 126 without increasing the bulk of the inking roller 110 or the complexity of the structure of the latter. Further, since the rubber discs 144 are embodied in the bearing assemblies 128 and 130 which are engageable only with the end portions of shaft 126, such rubber discs are not subject to attack by the ink contained within the fountain inking roller 110, as would be the case if the resilient mounting of such inking roller were sought to be achieved through the use of a continuous rubber sleeve surrounding shaft 126. It will also be noted that, in the event that one or the other of the rubber discs 144 loses its original resilience or is otherwise damaged, such rubber disc can be easily replaced to restore the marking apparatus to '7 its desired operating condition without requiring the discarding or replacement of the relatively expensive inking roller 110. Although an illustrative embodiment of the presen invention has been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawing, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a marking apparatus having a support arm and a marking wheel mounted on said support arm for rotation about an axis fixed relative to the latter and carrying marking means at the periphery of the marking wheel for applying inked markings to successive articles conveyed past the support arm; the combination of an inking roller disposed in rolling contact with the periphery of the marking wheel for applying ink to the marking means, a central shaft extending axially through said inking roller and supporting the latter for rotation, a pair of parallel arms disposed adjacent the opposite ends of said inking roller and having openings loosely receiving the opposite end portions of said shaft, a spindle carried by said support arm, a tube adjustably turnable on said spindle and having said parallel arms extending radially therefrom, each of said parallel arms having a recess concentric with the opening therein and accommodating a rubber disc, and a bearing bushing in each rubber disc receiving the adjacent end of said shaft so that the rubber discs in said recesses of the parallel arms are individually yieldable to permit the axis of rotation of said inking roller to be displaced relative to the axis of ro tation of the marking wheel for ensuring uniform contact of the inking roller with the marking means.

2. In a marking apparatus; the combination of a generally horizontal support arm, a marking wheel carrying marking means at the periphery thereof for applying inked markings to articles in rolling contact therewith, means mounting said marking wheel on said support arm to rotate about a vertical axis fixed relative to the latter and effect rolling and marking contact with successive articles conveyed past the support arm, a fountain inking roller having an ink applying pad extending around its periphery and arranged with its axis extending substantially vertically for rolling contact of said pad with the marking means, a spindle extending vertically from said support arm and having a tube adjustably turnable thereon, parallel arms extending radially from said tube above and below said inking roller, a shaft supporting said inln'ng roller and projecting above and below the latter, and resilient bearing means for the upper and lower ends of said shaft carried by said parallel arms.

3. 'In a marking apparatus; the combination of a generally horizontal support arm, a marking wheel carrying marking means at the periphery thereof for applying inked markings to articles in rolling contact therewith, means mounting said marking wheel on said support arm to rotate about a vertical axis fixed relative to the latter and effect rolling and marking contact with successive articles conveyed past the support arm, a fountain inking roller having an ink applying pad extending around its periphery and arranged with its axis extending substantially vertically for rolling contact of said pad with the marking means, a spindle extending vertically from said support arm and having a tube adjustably turnable thereon; parallel' armsextending radially from said tube above and below said inking roller, a shaft supporting said inking roller and projecting above and below the latter, said parallel arms having recesses in surfaces thereof directed toward said inking roller, rubber discs in said recesses, and bushings supported centrally in said rubber discs and receiving the opposite ends of said shaft so that said rubber discs can yield individually to permit displacement of the axis of said inking roller relative to the axis of said marking wheel for ensuring uniform contact of said pad with said marking means.

4. In a marking apparatus; the combination as in claim 3, wherein said fountain inking roller has a body including a bottom wall with a tubular central part extending upwardly therefrom and with a cylindrical side wall concentric with said central part and projecting upwardly from the peripheral portion of the bottom wall to define an ink reservoir between said central part and side Wall, and said bushings have radial flanges at the ends thereof facing toward said inking roller and engaging said tubular central part to act as thrust bearings for the inking roller.

5. In a marking apparatus; the combination as in claim 3, wherein said recesses of the parallel "arms communicate with openings in the latter concentric with said recesses and larger than the external diameter of said bushings so that the latter can extend loosely through said openings to have a substantial area of bearing contact with said shaft while avoiding interference with yielding of said rubber discs.

6. In a marking apparatus having a rotatable marking Wheel carrying marking means at its periphery for applying inked markings to an article moving therepast; the combination of an inking roll disposed in rolling contact With the periphery of the marking wheel for applying ink to the marking means, a shaft supporting said inking roll for rotation, and means supporting said shaft including parallel support arms disposed adjacent the opposite ends of said inking roll and having openings loosely receiving the ends of said shaft, each of said arms having a relatively large diameter, axially opening, shallow recess therein concentric with the related opening, a rubber disc seating in each shallow recess and having a central aperture, and a bearing bushing mounted in said central aperture of each rubber disc and loosely extending through the opening of the adjacent support arm, each bearing bushing receiving the adjacent end portion of said shaft so that the rubber discs in said recesses of the parallel arms can yield independent of each other in planes generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the inking roll to permit displacement of said axis of rotation of the inking roll relative to the axis of rotation of the marking wheel'for ensuring uniform contact of the inking roll with the marking means, said bearing bushings further having radial flanges at the ends thereof facing toward said inking roll and engaging the adjacent ends of the latter to act as thrust bearings for said inking roll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,652,293 Phillips Sept. '15, 1953 2,716,379 Pitt Aug. 30, 1955 2,738,240 Parsons Mar. 13, 1956 2,746,380 Gottscho May 22, 1956 2,763,206 Alessi Sept. 18, 1956 

